Metal-catcher for reducing-mills.



M. F. WILLIAMS. METAL CATCHERFOR REDUCING MILLS. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 13. 1911.

Patented Apr. 15,1919.

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MILTON F. WILLIAMS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAMS PATENT CRUSHER AND PULVERIZER COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

METAL-CATCHER FOR REDUCING-MILLS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, MILTON F. WILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Metal-Catchers for Reducing-Mills, of which the following "is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates generally to reducing machines, such as grinders, pulverizers, and the like, and more particularly to a device for separating comparatively heavy extraneous objects from the lighter material that is being fed to the reducing machine.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a comparatively simple device which can be readily utilized in connection with the supply pipes of reducing mills and the like, and which device will he effective in automatically bringing about the separation and discharge of comparatively heavy objects, such as stones, nail-s, pieces of metal, and the like, from the material which is being delivered to the reducing machine, said device being constructed so as toutilize the specific gravity of the extraneous obj ects in efl'ecting their separation and discharge and said device being preferably located in the supply pipe leading to thefreducing mill so that the separating operation is effected be fore the material being acted upon enters the reducing chamber of said mill or machine.

A further object of my invention is to provide a separating device which is entirely automatic in operation, andsaid device being applicable for use in connection with practically all reducing machines wherein the material to'be'reduced is of a comparatively light nature and is fed to the machine through a chute or spout.

With the'foregoing and other objects in View, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevational view of a reducing machine and showing my improved separating device connected'to the feed tube thereof;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a portion of the device and showing an automatically operating valve therein. Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a practical embodiment of my invention, 10 designates a reducmg machine, preferably of the type utilizing revolving hammers or beaters and a cage (not shown) through which the reduced or pulverized material passes, and leading from the lower portion of the housmg of said machine to a fan housing 11 is a conduit 12.

Leading from the fan housing 11 to a collector (not shown) is a pipe 13. Leading downwardly from a supply bin or hopper (not shown) is an inclined supply pipe or conduit 15, the lower end of which discharges directly into a vertically disposed pipe or conduit 16, the upper end of the latter being connected to a pipe or conduit 17 which leads to the feed opening of the mill 10.

- The lower portion of pipe or conduit 15, the upper portion of open-ended pipe or conduit 16, and that portion of pipe 17 which is connected to the upper end of said pipe 16, forms a substantially V-shaped portion in the material supply pipe and it is within the chamber of thissubstantially V- shaped portion that the separation of the comparatively heavy objects from the relatively lighter particles of material being acted upon is effected.

Journaled in the side walls of supply pipe 15 near the lower end thereof is a horizontally disposed shaft 18 and fixed to and depend-ing therefrom is a gate valve 19, which, under normal conditions, or while the device is in operation, closes the lower end of said supply pipe 15.

The shaft 18 and depending valve 19 are disposed within pipe 15 so that when said valve swings from its normal position, it moves into the vertically disposed pipe 16, thereby acting as an automatic valve to restrict the size of the opening therethrough and consequently control the passage of air and material passing upwardly through said pipe 16.

Secured to one end of shaft 18 onthe outside of pipe 15 is a horizontally disposed crank arm 20 upon which is adjustably positioned a weight 21.

During the operation of the mill and my improved separating device, the fan within the housing 11 causes a comparatively strong current of air to be drawn into the open lower end of pipe 16, and said air passes through pipe or conduit 17, thence through the mill 10, from thence through conduit 12 to fan housing 11, and from thence upwardly through pipe 13 to the collector.

The material to be reduced which is of comparatively light nature, such as grain, passes downward from the supply bin or hopper through pipe or conduit 15 and the weight of said material forces gate valve 19 open, thereby permitting the discharge of said material into pipe 16. The comparatively strong current of air passing upward through this pipe 16 carries the material with it, and said material passes upwardly against gravity and through pipe or conduit 17 to the reducing machine.

Thus it will be seen that the material being fed to the reducing machine will pass through the substantially V-shaped portion of the supply pipe or that portion comprising the lower end of pipe 15, upper portion of pipe 16 and adjacent portion of pipe 17 and in passing therethrough the material moves downwardly past one side of the valve, thence beneath the lower end of said pass downwardly through said pipe and discharge from the lower end thereof into. a suitable receptacle. Inasmuch as this separation takes place in the supply pipe it is impossible for any relatively heavy object to enter the reducing machine and injure any of the operating parts thereof.

The weight 21 on crank arm 20 is adjusted so as to normally close gate valve 19 but permits the same to open under a comparatively light pressure of material feeding downwardly through pipe 17 and as said valve 19 swings into the upper portion of pipe 16, it reduces the area of the passageway therethrough and consequently controls the volume of the current of air passing through said pipe. The crank arm 20 is of substantial length so that the weight 21 has a consideralble range of adjustment, such conditions 'being necessary in order to regulate the opening movement of the valve in proportion to the weight. and-consequent amount of pressure of the volume of material passing downwardly through supply pipe 15, and in this connection it will be understood that different grains and materials vary considerably in specific gravity. Thus, the supply pipe 15, pipe 16 and valve 19 combine to constitute an automatic feeder for the material drawn into pipe 17 and reducing machine 10 and said feeder being so constructed and arranged as to bring about the automatic discharge of all com paratively heavyextraneous objects from the material passing through said automatic feeder. V n

A device of my improved construction is comparatively simple, is entirely automatic in operation, can be readily combined with practically all forms of reducing machines having a feed spout or chute, and particu-.

larly those machines utilized in reducing comparatively light material, such as grain, and said device is especially effective in separating and bringing about the discharge of all extraneous objects which may become accidentally mixed with the material to be reduced, and particularly such objects as would injure the reducing machine if they were permitted to pass thereinto.

It will be readily understood that minor changes in the size, formand construction of the various parts of my improved reducing machine can be made and substituted for those herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of myinvention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claim.

I claim:

In a metal catcher for reducing mills, the combination of a material supply pipe having in its length a substantially V-shaped portion or bend, from the junction of the legs of which depends a pipe, the lower end of which is open to atmosphere for conducting away particles and objects heavier than the material being acted upon, a valve pivotally arranged in the supply pipe adjacent to the junction of the legs of the V-shaped por tion thereof, the lower edge of said valve being designed to cooperate with the lower wall of one of the legs of the V-shaped portion, and means for causing a current of air to pass upwardly through the open-ended pipe and one of the legs of the V-shaped portion of the supply pipe whereby the material being acted upon is drawn downwardly pastione side of the valve, thence forced beneath said valve, and thence upwardly through the other leg of the V- shaped portion of the supply pipe to a reducing machine, whereby any foreign objects heavier than the material being acted upon and not susceptible to the upward movement of the air current will drop through the open-ended pipe and a reducing machine for acting upon all of the lighter material, including dust and finer particles, passing 10 through the V-shaped portion of said supply pipe.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aifix my signature this 9th day of November, 1917.

MILTON F. WILLIAMS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patentm. Washington, D. G. 

